# Recharging Boveda



## kegnum (Jun 6, 2017)

I have been trying to recharge some 69% bovedas. Right now I have them in an air tight ziplock freezer bag with a bowl of distilled water. Its been about 2-3 weeks and they are barely showing any signs of revival. The packs were almost completely drained when I put them in. 

What is the best way to recharge them? How long does it normally take for them to fully charge?


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## vinonut (Sep 7, 2016)

Lay out some paper toweling. Saturate it with distilled water. Lay the Bovedas on the toweling in a single layer. Fold the toweling over the packs. Place the bundle in ziplock baggie. If still dry in 2 days, repeat.


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## OneStrangeOne (Sep 10, 2016)

The more packs that you're trying to recharge in the same container adds too the time it takes, if I have a bunch to do I put em all in a shallow dish and cover with distilled water to soak for a day or two.


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## WABOOM (Oct 15, 2015)

I put them in a mason jar with DW.


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## Three Lions (Jul 13, 2017)

Soaking in distilled water works well. Watch out for over saturating them - at some point they can lose their ability to absorb humidity if needed. If you have access to accurate scales it can be done quite precisely. A completely dry 60g Boveda weighs in at about 25g or so. If you add 35g of distilled water to a ziploc and seal it up with the bag all the moisture will be absorbed in a few days. That's the same as 35 ml if you want to go by volume.

TL


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and buy new ones. If they haven't soaked up any humidity in two weeks, do you really trust em to work in your box.. I'm guessing you have more than a couple bucks invested in sticks. It's worth buying new ones

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## Bruced (May 20, 2017)

WABOOM said:


> I put them in a mason jar with DW.


I use a glass storage jar, with rubble seal gasket. Put DW in an clean cut down plastic H20 Bottle. Set Boveda beside plastic bottle. Works, and you do not have to get them Boveda's wet.


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

Put Boveda in airtight tupperware and submerge with DW. It should be less than a week. No harder than just that.


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## Randy956 (Dec 16, 2013)

I've not had any luck submerging the packs in water. 


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

My Boveda recharging station. Credit for the idea of re-purposing chicken breaders goes to @*Ranger0282*. DW goes in the bottom; Bovedas go on the grate above it. Never checked to see how long it takes to recharge them 'cause I've never been in a hurry for them. But my best guess is less than a week tho. As you can see, it works well for bead bags too.


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

Randy956 said:


> I've not had any luck submerging the packs in water.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


What tends to happen to them? I've had some in water for weeks at a time with no ill consequences


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## JtAv8tor (Apr 12, 2017)

SeanTheEvans said:


> What tends to happen to them? I've had some in water for weeks at a time with no ill consequences


Sean, I have thought about just tossing them in water but was worried they would get messed up, I usually just put them in a tupper with a sponge that is soaked in distilled water.

Would you throw a pic up of some you have recharged through submersion.

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## kegnum (Jun 6, 2017)

Hey guys. Thanks for all the tips and advice. 

So, its been about 4 weeks and they are starting to fill up again. I guess it just takes time and since these were overly dry. From now on, I'll try not to wait until they are bone dry to re-hydrate them.


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## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

I got the set-up that Jack @curmudgeonista showed (and also credited to Ranger). After fooling around with different set-ups, I just said 'heck with it' and bought that. For me, its an easy no fuss solution. Bovedas from hard to soft & filled again in about a week.

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## Verwilderd (Apr 22, 2017)

I've had a lot of luck soaking a paper towel in DW, wringing it out, and then wrapping the bovedas in it. I'll put a few per paper towel. Then I'll place in an airtight glass Tupperware and leave it for about 4 days. After that, the paper towels are usually completely dry (or almost completely dry) and start using them. 

This has worked for me without fail and refills them fairly fast. I've even done them with completely dried out boveda packs and it's brought them to life just as fast.


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## ivandrocco (Feb 17, 2017)

I put mine in a tupperware and misted the inside with distilled water in a spray bottle. Recharged half of them in a day or two. Flipped them over and put another spray in last night.


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

JtAv8tor said:


> Sean, I have thought about just tossing them in water but was worried they would get messed up, I usually just put them in a tupper with a sponge that is soaked in distilled water.
> 
> Would you throw a pic up of some you have recharged through submersion.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I recharge mine by throwing them into tupperware that has DW in it. They soak and get fatter. Eventually I pull them back out and put into use again.

Can you tell by looking which ones have been recharged? Me neither, but I know the large ones have been done 2-3 times at least, and about half of the small ones have been recharged at least once or twice.

So whenever people tell you about how they can't touch water - :BS

Yeah, you can go buy a "really cheap" system so that you can "be sure" if that makes you comfortable. I like my time & money, so I toss packs that are "getting pretty flat" in and take em out when they look "juicy" again.


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## triplezero24 (Apr 11, 2017)

I just bought one of those chicken breader things, and will be using that setup in the future. It can take a few weeks for them to charge up relying solely on evaporation, but it seems less risky than submerging and risking overcharging them.


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

triplezero24 said:


> I just bought one of those chicken breader things, and will be using that setup in the future. It can take a few weeks for them to charge up relying solely on evaporation, but it seems less risky than submerging and risking overcharging them.


Unless you're cooking it, you won't be using evaporation. Also, if the packs are left in ANY environment higher than their rating, eventually they can become "overcharged", so don't feel too safe. That won't matter anyway though, unless you overcharge ALL of your packets, as all of your non-OC ones will simply absorb the extra moisture that the OC packets let off until they are back to "regular-charged" size.

Point being - it's pretty hard to F this up. It seems like rocket science is being attempted while two rocks and a stick would work just as well


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## triplezero24 (Apr 11, 2017)

SeanTheEvans said:


> Unless you're cooking it, you won't be using evaporation


Really? Then how does the moisture get into the environment inside the container? Magic? Perhaps I'm arguing semantics here, but that is how it works.


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## Humphrey's Ghost (Dec 27, 2016)

JtAv8tor said:


> Sean, I have thought about just tossing them in water but was worried they would get messed up, I usually just put them in a tupper with a sponge that is soaked in distilled water.
> 
> Would you throw a pic up of some you have recharged through submersion.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro



















Doing a bunch right now JT. Have done the same packs many times over.

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## JtAv8tor (Apr 12, 2017)

Humphrey's Ghost said:


> Doing a bunch right now JT. Have done the same packs many times over.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Cool I was worried soaking the directly would cause the packaging to get nasty over time

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## Humphrey's Ghost (Dec 27, 2016)

JtAv8tor said:


> Cool I was worried soaking the directly would cause the packaging to get nasty over time
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Air dry them on paper towels
Still look new when they are dry

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## Three Lions (Jul 13, 2017)

triplezero24 said:


> Really? Then how does the moisture get into the environment inside the container? Magic? Perhaps I'm arguing semantics here, but that is how it works.


You do have a good point there. Evaporation is exactly the process!

TL


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## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

triplezero24 said:


> Really? Then how does the moisture get into the environment inside the container? Magic? Perhaps I'm arguing semantics here, but that is how it works.





Three Lions said:


> You do have a good point there. Evaporation is exactly the process!
> 
> TL


Bovedas don't work by evaporation. Instead the work through Osmosis. If they evaporated you would not be able to put them directly on your cigars.
os·mo·sis
äzˈmōsəs,äsˈmōsəs/Submit
noun
noun: osmosis
1.
BIOLOGYCHEMISTRY
a process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

LeatherNeck said:


> Bovedas don't work by evaporation. Instead the work through Osmosis. If they evaporated you would not be able to put them directly on your cigars.
> os·mo·sis
> äzˈmōsəs,äsˈmōsəs/Submit
> noun
> ...


Hmmm. Air is not a solution. It seems to me osmosis, or something very much like it, would apply to a Boveda's membrane. But wouldn't evaporation still be a factor in increasing the RH of the surrounding air?

Not trying to argue. Just that neither one seems entirely logical all by itself. Honestly though, I really don't care how they work, as long as they do.


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## Three Lions (Jul 13, 2017)

LeatherNeck said:


> Bovedas don't work by evaporation. Instead the work through Osmosis. If they evaporated you would not be able to put them directly on your cigars.
> os·mo·sis
> äzˈmōsəs,äsˈmōsəs/Submit
> noun
> ...


The topic is recharging. We were talking about how the humidity leaves the water in the bottom of chicken breader, not the Boveda bag. Triplezerp24 had said it was "soley evaporation". He was correct.

TL


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## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

curmudgeonista said:


> Hmmm. Air is not a solution. It seems to me osmosis, or something very much like it, would apply to a Boveda's membrane. But wouldn't evaporation still be a factor in increasing the RH of the surrounding air?
> 
> Not trying to argue. Just that neither one seems entirely logical all by itself. Honestly though, I really don't care how they work, as long as they do.


I'm neither the creator/inventor nor a chemist so forgive me if I have reached the limit of my expertise on this subject. I have just read/seen/heard that this is the process by which Boveda work. I do know; however, that evaporation is a process that requires heat whereas osmosis only requires that the concentration of the solvent (in this case, water) be unequal on either side of the membrane. To make it a little more clear, Boveda will work at the same rate at 50F as they will at 100F; evaporation will not.
Sorry, all I got captain.


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## Three Lions (Jul 13, 2017)

curmudgeonista said:


> Hmmm. Air is not a solution. It seems to me osmosis, or something very much like it, would apply to a Boveda's membrane. But wouldn't evaporation still be a factor in increasing the RH of the surrounding air?
> 
> Not trying to argue. Just that neither one seems entirely logical all by itself. Honestly though, I really don't care how they work, as long as they do.


Yes, you are right, the liquid water in the Boveda has to turn into water vapor in order to enter the air and raise the humidity. That's evaporation.

I suspect that the "reverse osmosis" membrane the Boveda refers to is designed to keep the salts they use on the inside of the bag. Otherwise you'd get crystals forming on the outside as the water evaporates. I think they call it "reverse osmosis" because normal osmosis would have the salts migrating from high to low concentrations, which would mean leaving the bag.

TL


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## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

Three Lions said:


> Yes, you are right, the liquid water in the Boveda has to turn into water vapor in order to enter the air and raise the humidity. That's evaporation.
> 
> I suspect that the "reverse osmosis" membrane the Boveda refers to is designed to keep the salts they use on the inside of the bag. Otherwise you'd get crystals forming on the outside as the water evaporates. I think they call it "reverse osmosis" because normal osmosis would have the salts migrating from high to low concentrations, which would mean leaving the bag.
> 
> TL


No, the process of Osmosis is not the same as Evaporation. Google it, please.
Also, the "salts" are a medium not the solvent.


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

triplezero24 said:


> Really? Then how does the moisture get into the environment inside the container? Magic? Perhaps I'm arguing semantics here, but that is how it works.





Three Lions said:


> You do have a good point there. Evaporation is exactly the process!
> 
> TL


The moisture gets inside the container when we put DW in there. Then the packets go inside that.

Air is not necessary in my setup. The packets are directly inside the water.

Osmosis is how it works when the packets are in the water

If they are on a rack outside of water, then the whole thing works mostly like transpiration - as it is a controlled release/intake, much likes plants and their stoma. There is a membrane that decides how much moisture to let in and out.

If it was evaporation - do you imagine that the packets are then filled by condensation? If so, why are they not ever wet if they aren't touching the water?

Also, I can't recall, as my science-senses are failing me. But I believe there's a more specific term for water naturally releasing into the air off the top, rather than boiling by heat (evaporation). Perhaps it's merely a specific kind of evaporation, but I do recall there being a difference


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## SBjanderson (Jul 11, 2017)

Is there a point of no return on Bovedas? I have a few that I accidentally left in my truck. I am assuming since they have been left in my truck for several months that they may have absorbed at least some sort of humidity/smells that I wouldnt want to use them in my humidor? I have plenty more but was just curious if my thinking on this is correct or if I am completely wrong?


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## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

Thanks for the further clarification @SeanTheEvans.


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

SBjanderson said:


> Is there a point of no return on Bovedas? I have a few that I accidentally left in my truck. I am assuming since they have been left in my truck for several months that they may have absorbed at least some sort of humidity/smells that I wouldnt want to use them in my humidor? I have plenty more but was just curious if my thinking on this is correct or if I am completely wrong?


One way to find out! See if they soak up moisture and put them in a bag with a hygro after - if they read on and don't smell like funk - use em


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Yunz guys probably ask the butcher what goes in the sausage too.. Who cares as long as it's good..

Same with boveda I don't need to know how they work, I'm just happy they do.

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## Three Lions (Jul 13, 2017)

LeatherNeck said:


> I'm neither the creator/inventor nor a chemist so forgive me if I have reached the limit of my expertise on this subject. I have just read/seen/heard that this is the process by which Boveda work. I do know; however, that evaporation is a process that requires heat whereas osmosis only requires that the concentration of the solvent (in this case, water) be unequal on either side of the membrane. To make it a little more clear, Boveda will work at the same rate at 50F as they will at 100F; evaporation will not.
> Sorry, all I got captain.


You're correct that evaporation happens more slowly at lower temperatures. However, a lower absolute humidity (total water content in the air) is required to maintain the same relative humidity at lower temperatures. This means equilibrium can be achieved at lower temps as well as higher.

Here's a quick description of how Bovedas work as I understand it. For those whose eyes are rolling into the back your head - quit now and go smoke a cigar!

If you've calibrated a hygrometer you may have used the salt method. What you are doing here is creating a saturated table salt (sodium chloride) solution, which when put in a sealed environment will reach equilibrium at and RH of 75%. It so happens that this is true at all temperatures (as long as the solution doesn't boil or freeze.) Different salts will reach equilibrium at different RHs. Boveda uses a mix of different salts in saturated solutions in its bags, each formulated to reach equilibrium at the RH indicated on the bag. As mentioned before, the membrane keeps the salts or liquid water from leaching out of the bag while allowing the water vapor to escape. That way the paper wrapper never gets wet and is safe to come in contact with the cigars.

TL


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## SBjanderson (Jul 11, 2017)

SeanTheEvans said:


> One way to find out! See if they soak up moisture and put them in a bag with a hygro after - if they read on and don't smell like funk - use em


I like the way you think sir


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## Three Lions (Jul 13, 2017)

LeatherNeck said:


> No, the process of Osmosis is not the same as Evaporation. Google it, please.
> Also, the "salts" are a medium not the solvent.


Please don't be condescending. I am well aware of the difference between osmosis and evaporation. I was not implying they were the same.

I also never said the salts were a solvent.

You are misrepresenting what I wrote.

For a more detailed explanation see the post I just made.

TL


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

There comes a point where nothing is being achieved through discussion..I believe this is that point.. 

Plus nobody cares. Evaporation, osmosis, wizards, or black magic. It doesn't matter.
Toss em in with dw, toss em IN the dw, or lay em on your beads like me. Whatever works best for you. 

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## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

Well said Dino! Off to find another discussion...


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## Bigjohn (Apr 6, 2017)

My wife is really good at taking a simple topic and making it overly complicated. I should get her to join in on the discussion 


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## dortold (Jul 17, 2017)

Now I'm just a simple noobie, so I don't want to speak out of turn, but it seems to me that the whole point of forums like this is to dig deep into every aspect of our hobby. In this case: cigars. Again, speaking as a total noob, I've really enjoyed reading this and other threads, detailing the history, workings, and best practices around cigar/pipe culture, etiquette, accessories, etc.

Obviously, we're all human beings, so there's personalities to consider in this mix. But we're all adults (I hope!), so we should at least be capable of having these sorts of conversations. Just a matter of finding the right place/time for it.

TL;DR: There are nerds in every hobby - from cars, to guns, gaming, and smoking. And nerds love to obsess over details which would bore the casual observer.

---

Anyway, I haven't even finished my first proper tupperdor (c'monnn Canada Post), so I get a real kick out of all this fancy talk. I can't wait until I eventually choose to invest in a "real" humidor, and get the heat/humidity _juuust_ right. Until then, I'll just read on, and occasionally pipe in.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

dortold said:


> Now I'm just a simple noobie, so I don't want to speak out of turn, but it seems to me that the whole point of forums like this is to dig deep into every aspect of our hobby. In this case: cigars. Again, speaking as a total noob, I've really enjoyed reading this and other threads, detailing the history, workings, and best practices around cigar/pipe culture, etiquette, accessories, etc.
> 
> Obviously, we're all human beings, so there's personalities to consider in this mix. But we're all adults (I hope!), so we should at least be capable of having these sorts of conversations. Just a matter of finding the right place/time for it.
> 
> ...


Feel free to chime in anytime on any subject you feel comfortable speaking on in the forum. Just because you're new doesn't mean you don't have ideas some of us old guys never thought of yet.

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## Three Lions (Jul 13, 2017)

dortold said:


> ...
> 
> TL;DR: There are nerds in every hobby - from cars, to guns, gaming, and smoking. And nerds love to obsess over details which would bore the casual observer.
> ...


Yep - that's me :smile2:

TL


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Three Lions said:


> Yep - that's me :smile2:
> 
> TL


I'm the opposite. I stick with the K.I.S.S. method. It's got me this far.
I'm sure SOME additional thought may have been good in a few situations, but fortunately I heal quick..lol

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## 5280Nomad (Jun 29, 2017)

After reading this thread, I have submerged my Boveda packs in distilled water. I will report back as to how it worked. 

Side question: I have 2 x 72% in my humidor. They've been there for about a month/ month and a half. I noticed over the last few days that my humidity was dropping. I checked the packs, and they were hard. How long should a Boveda pack last before a recharge? I don't mind recharging/replacing them, but I don't want to be ignoring a problem with the humidor. It's a 50 stick humidor and I thought 2 packs was overkill.


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## Humphrey's Ghost (Dec 27, 2016)

5280Nomad said:


> After reading this thread, I have submerged my Boveda packs in distilled water. I will report back as to how it worked.
> 
> Side question: I have 2 x 72% in my humidor. They've been there for about a month/ month and a half. I noticed over the last few days that my humidity was dropping. I checked the packs, and they were hard. How long should a Boveda pack last before a recharge? I don't mind recharging/replacing them, but I don't want to be ignoring a problem with the humidor. It's a 50 stick humidor and I thought 2 packs was overkill.


It really just depends on the environment
The Bovedas will do whatever it takes to try to keep up
In sealed Tupperware they will last six months or longer, I have some getting close to a year and still going strong
In a wood humidor that is leaking RH they might not even last a month

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## 5280Nomad (Jun 29, 2017)

Humphrey's Ghost said:


> It really just depends on the environment
> The Bovedas will do whatever it takes to try to keep up
> In sealed Tupperware they will last six months or longer, I have some getting close to a year and still going strong
> In a wood humidor that is leaking RH they might not even last a month
> ...


I don't feel so bad then. I will just keep recharging and trading them out. Thanks!


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